Display rack for books and the like



March 21, 1939. GRAN-r 2,151,269

DISPLAY RACK FOR BOOKS AND THE LIKE Filed July 19, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l March 21', 1939. c, A. RANT 2,151,269

DISPLAY RACK FOR BOOKS AND THE LIKE Filed July 19, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 21, 1939 UNITED STATES a? i t k).

PATENT @E Gaylord Brothers, Inc.

poration of New York Syracuse, N. Y., a cor- Application July 19, 1937, Serial No. 154,486

2 Claims.

This invention appertains to display devices, and more particularly, to a new and improved display rack for books, magazines, periodicals, and other articles of a similar nature. It is particularly useful in libraries and other places where books are displayed on shelves for the convenience of the library patrons.

It has been found that in many cases, a book which does not have an attractive or appealing title, or which has a very plain and uninteresting bound edge, carrying merely the title and/or the authors name, will remain on the bookshelf in the library for months, and sometimes even years, without going into circulation or even being removed from the bookshelf, when the book is displayed in the usual manner in side-by-side relation with other books on the bookshelf, with the bound edge only presented to view. This is often true even though the book may actually be a very worthy and interesting work. In the development of the present invention, it has been my aim to encourage and promote the circulation or sale of books and similar articles through the simple expedient of providing a more attractive display of those books which might otherwise remain unnoticed if placed on a bookshelf in the usual manner.

To this end, I have devised a simple and inexpensive display rack which may be associated with a standard or conventional bookend, or used separately if desired, which is adapted to support the book or similar article with the front cover presented to view, or with the book in an open condition so that certain attractive or representative pages may be readily seen even by a casual observer.

A further object of the invention is to provide a display rack for books and the like, preferably formed from sheet metal, and which includes a 'base and a bookrest or standard extending up- Wardly therefrom, the arrangement preferably being such as to be either self-sustaining, or capable of being attached to a standard bookend, as desired.

Other and further objects of the invention will be hereinafter described, and the novel features thereof defined by the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view in perspective, illustrating one practical application of my invention to the display of books on library shelves, wherein certain. of the books are shown arranged in the usual side-by-side relation and are supported by the usual bookend, with my new display rack attached to and disposed at the other side of the bookend and serving tosupport another book in a plane generally normal to the other books on the shelf;

Figure 2 is a perspective View of my new display rack alone, and illustrating a typical use thereof as an independent or self-sustaining display device for supporting a book in either a closed or an open condition so as to exhibit a certain selected page or pages thereof, the book being shown in broken lines in an open condition by way of example;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view, taken approximately on the line 33 of Figure l, with the books and shelving omitted; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail view in front elevation of the display rack alone.

Like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings, wherein i designates a typical arrangement of book shelving serving to support a plurality of books 2, arranged in side-by-side relation in the usual manner with their bound edges 3 presented to view. These books 2 are held upright by a standard bookend-generally designated 3, which may be of any suitable construction and which is preferably of sheet metal construction. As shown, the bookend 4 comprises a vertical panel 5, adapted to be disposed at one side of the group of books 2 and arranged generally parallel to the face of the contiguous book. The base of the bookend 4 is formed by cutting out part of the panel 5 and bending the same so as to provide an elongated horizontal tongue-like section it, lying one side of the panel 5 and adapted to be disposed beneath one or more, preferably several, of the books 2. At the opposite side of the panel 5, there is provided a relatively short flange i, coextensive with the tongue-like part 6, and which together with the part 6 forms the base of the bookend My new display rack, generally designated R, is likewise composed of sheet metal, and includes a base 8 having its front edge bent upwardly, as at 9, forming a relatively short flange. Disposed in rearwardly spaced relation to the flange 9 and preferably formed integrally with the base 8, is a panel-like standard iii, forming a bookrest which extends in a generally upward direction from the base. It will be observed that the member It] is disposed somewhat forwardly of the rear extremity of the base 8, and is joined to the latter by a part it which overlies the rearward portion of the base 8. The purpose of this arrangement is to enable the base flange l of the bookend l to be grippingly received between the part II and the base 8 of the display rack, so that the latter may be secured to the bookend if desired and thus prevent accidental displacement thereof on the bookshelf. The display rack may be of any desired transverse width, but is preferably several inches wide to insure an adequate support for a book or other article to be displayed in the manner of the book I2 shown in Figure 1 by way of one example. In this case, the book I! is closed and is placed in the display rack so as to lie in a position generally transverse to the position of the books 2. As will be readily apparent from inspection of Figure 1, the lower part of the book l2 rests upon the base 8, and is received in the transversely arranged trough or channel formed by the flange 9 and the lower part of the backrest Ill, with the front cover of the book presented to view. If desired, the backrest l may be rearwardly inclined at any desired angle respecting the vertical, so as to more readily support the book l2 without the likelihood of the book falling off of the shelf or becoming accidentally displaced.

The front flange 9, base 8, backrest Iii and the interconnecting clamping member l are all preferably formed in one piece, and may be economically constructed as a simple stamping. The clamping member H, which interconnects the base 8 proper with the backrest Iii, is folded over the base 8, and extends forwardly from the folded edge l3 to a point preferably approximately midway between the front and rear edges of the base. By reason of the fact that the member I i normally lies closely adjacent to the upper side of the base 3, a firm gripping action will be exerted upon the bookend flange when the latter is inserted between the member II and the base 8, as shown in Figures 1 and 3. The inherent resiliency of the metal of which the rack is preferably made serves to produce this gripping action just referred to, yet allows the rack to be detached from the bookend when desired, as will be obvious.

The distance between the inner face of the front flange 9 of the display rack, at the bottom thereof, and the inner face of the rear fold H5, or in other words, the length of the base 8 from the front to back, is equal to or slightly greater than, the length of the bookend flange i, from the front edge to the back edge, so that the flange I may be received between the clamping member I I and the base 8 of the display rack, as will be best understood from reference to Figure 3.

I preferably mount upon the front flange 94 of the display rack a holder M for receiving title cards or other cards or strips bearing data pertaining to the book or other article which is put in the display rack for display. This holder l4 preferably comprises an elongated plate secured to the front face of the flange t, as by means of the rivets I5, or otherwise. The upper and lower edges of the plate 84 are bent over, as at [6 and H, to provide grooves or channels l3 and IQ for receiving the upper and lower marginal edges respectively of the title cardsor strips mentioned above. These cards or strips may be inserted in the holder M, or removed therefrom, by sliding the same endwise in the grooves l8 and I9.

As previously mentioned, the display rack may be detached from the bookend and used independently thereof as a self-sustaining rack or support. In Figure 2 of the drawings, I have illustrated the display rack as applied to a typical condition where it is desired to display a book 20, or other article, in an open condition, although it is to be understood that the book need not be open unless this is preferred. The principal feature which is intended to the illustrated by Figure 2 is that the rack unit R is adapted for use independently of the bookend 4, or in other words, as a self-sustaining unit. 1

It will be observed that the rack unit R is generally J-shaped in cross-section, as will be best seen from reference to Figure 3, and that the same forms a transversely arranged channel 'or trough forwardly of the panel or backrest ill, thelatter constituting an extension of the back of the channel and giving the same its general J-shape.

While the specific details have been herein shown and described, the invention is not confined thereto, as changes and alterations may be made without departing from the spirit thereof as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a display rack for books and similar articles, said display rack being composed of sheet metal and including a base having an upwardly extending wall at the forward edge thereof, and a backrest spaced rearwardly from said forward wall and extending distance to provide a yieldable clamping member normally lying closely adjacent to the base but permitting yielding movement away from. the same to enable the base of a bookend to be inserted and clamped therebetween, and the forward extremity of said clamping member being bent upwardly away from said base and extended substantially above the forward wall aforesaid to form a backrest for a book or similar article When positioned on the base intermediate the front wall and upwardly extended backrest.

CHESTER A. GRANT. 

